'Aqua Teen' will please those in the know
By Rachel Hanes, Staff Writer
April 22, 2007 | 2:52 p.m.
It was a peaceful day in New Jersey suburbia until a giant piece of galactic exercise equipment decided to terrorize the town. Luckily, Aqua Teen Hunger Force arrives to save the day in "Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters," a true-to-form comedy that will have fans laughing and Aqua Teen virgins cringing.
"Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters" is based off Cartoon Network’s popular show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," featured during their Adult Swim programming block. The movie follows the show's main characters, Frylock (Carey Means), Master Shake (Dana Snyder) and Meatwad (Dave Willis), known collectively as Aqua Teen Hunger Force, as they discover their origins and save humanity from a piece of exercise machinery that could destroy the world and bring imbalance to the universe. Weird, right? Well, this absurdity is the norm with "Aqua Teen” and it is something that audiences will either appreciate or be completely repulsed by.
The film begins with Meatwad, the seemingly innocent, childlike meatball; Frylock, the wise, floating, goatee-sporting box of french fries; and Master Shake, the self-centered, dissolute milkshake, trying to understand how to set up the Insan-O-Flex, an exercise machine that Master Shake stole from their neighbor, Carl. After realizing they are missing a part, they go on a search for the lost piece. Along the way, Frylock has frequent dreams about his past and wonders exactly how the Hunger Force came into being.
At the same time, the Plutonians, a recurring couple of alien characters, are visited by the Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past, who has nothing to do with Christmas but has everything to do with traveling through time and telling exaggerated stories about it. The Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past reveals that the Insan-O-Flex is a crazed machine that will make the user so attractive that the world will erupt into chaos. Also, the machine flattens everything in its path. The machine must be stopped before it is too late. But, of course, Aqua Teen Hunger Force is already on their way to get the machine working so Master Shake can beef up in order to get laid, which is his all-consuming goal.
"ATHF:MFft", as it is affectionately abbreviated, follows the recipe of the series in that it is made up of the most random sequences one will ever see. There are far too many to mention them all, but they will all undoubtedly get either a laugh or a puzzled look. Whether it is Frylock being plagued by “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins or Abraham Lincoln car pooling the Hunger Force to his wooden rocket ship in his VW Beetle convertible, the randomness of Aqua Teen is essential to its novelty.
Fans of "Aqua Teen" will be more than appreciative of the film, which is, at its simplest, an extended episode. None of the characters lose their essence on the screen, especially the Mooninites, who are intimidating, pixilated space travelers with bad attitudes; they even terrorize the public when advertised on light boards! (Read about that mishap here.) These two little guys, who can’t keep their mouths shut, make one of the best parts of the movie and "Aqua Teen" in general.
Some who might not be so pleased are those who have no idea what "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" is. While seeing the show is not necessary for understanding the film, it is necessary for understanding the humor behind the characters and their mishaps. The random notes that make "Aqua Teen" what it is can be confused with idiotic tangents. Do not bring along someone who hasn’t the sense of humor that is necessary to enjoy the show; they will not appreciate the movie. This, however, should be a known fact since those who don’t appreciate the show are not considered fans. Non-fans, watch out: open your mind or else be bored to death or annoyed to tears.
"Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters" will be enjoyable for those who have always hoped for longer episodes. The elements of "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" are all present within the film: random sequences that add nothing to the plot, bizarre characters made of inanimate objects or non-existent aliens and hilarious dialogue that make the characters of "Aqua Teen" incomparable to any other cartoon. Its plot may be ridiculous and its humor immature, but those who love "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" on their TV screens will love to see the Force on the big screen.
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Critic Rating: B Running Time: 1 hour 26 minutes MPAA rating: R for crude and sexual humor, violent images and language Genre: Comedy, Animation
Visit the movie's Web site for alternate endings and other information.
For "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" show times on the Cartoon Network, click here.